Vale Dam System
It consists of dams B1, B5 and B6. Only the first of these is intended for bauxite processing tailings, with a storage capacity of over 50 million cubic metres. B6 is used for the treatment and storage of water that is pumped for sustainable reuse in the plant.
Hydro has been taking measures to go beyond what is required by current legislation and to adopt the best national and international practices for dam construction and management. As a result, Mineração Paragominas has made improvements to ensure that dam safety meets international industry recommendations. In addition, the mine has operational procedures that further reduce the volume of water in the tailings environment and improved system instrumentation and monitoring programmes.
Platô Tailings Disposal System (RP1)
Built on a former bauxite mining area, the Plateau System (RP1) has a storage capacity of approximately 11 million cubic metres of tailings. The system is subdivided into four tailings reservoirs and eight water reservoirs (treatment basins), with a view to reusing the resource in the production process.
In the Plateau system, the four reservoirs are used alternately for tailings disposal, allowing the deposited layers to dry and compact. This methodology increases the safety and stability of the structures.
Confira ao lado mais informações sobre o Plano de Ação de Emergência para Barragens (PAEBM),
“Tailing Dry Backfill Methodology”
Hydro invested approximately R$ 30 million to implement the “Tailing Dry Backfill” methodology, which is a pioneer in the bauxite mining industry in Brazil. The methodology allows inert tailings from bauxite mining to be returned to areas that have already been opened and mined, instead of being deposited in separate, permanent storage areas. After drying in temporary storage for 60 days, the bauxite tailings are returned to the mined areas before the area is rehabilitated and reforested.
The tailings from bauxite mining are chemically and physically similar to those removed during the mining process. Therefore, they are returned to nature without any impact on the environment. This significantly reduces the environmental footprint of bauxite mining and increases operational safety.
Learn more about Dry Backfill:
Updated: February 10, 2026